Be PreparedAs I’m sure, some if not most of you have experienced, owning a vintage vehicle of any kind takes quite a bit of time, effort and dedication to keep it from leaving you and your loved ones stranded. Being broke down on some unknown stretch of road far away from home or help can turn a good time into a disaster.
Many of us restore our beloved cars to the point of being able to call them polished, perfect , show winning and reliable. Others Prefer the Original look and leave the patina, but doing a mechanical restoration and therefore being reliable. And some just fix the safety items and drive them. Fixing as you drive is ok if you only go a few miles from home and have AAA to come rescue you; but it also helps to have tools, spare parts, knowledge and good friends along the way.
Way back in the late 70’s when I started toying with VW’s as a hobby and transportation, there were countless repair shops in every part of the country to get your VW worked on. In those days engine rebuilds fetched the huge sum of $200! And now that our VW’s are considered “Classic Cars”, an engine rebuild or major repairs can cost thousands, besides leaving you in a hotel for a night or two, waiting for parts not typically stocked by the local “we can have the part tomorrow” repair facility. So unless you’ve got the cash and the towing coverage on your insurance policy,
we as responsible Volkswagen owners, who love our family and sanity should always be prepared. It doesn’t matter which type of above owner you are, show winning reliable cruiser or seat of the pants fixer upper; tools, spare parts and a list of people to help is a necessity.
In the autumn of 2001 VW Trends columnist, Bill Collins, invited my family and I to the Invitational DKF Fall Foliage Tour in Waterville Valley, NH. This was to be the virgin road test for my newly acquired 57 oval beetle and we were all hyped to test it out. I had only a few months into the mechanical portion of my restoration and felt it was worthy of the journey, but would be towed to the event to save time in travel. The oddest thing happened once we arrived and the tour commenced, the old beetle had mechanical issues; go figure.
Everyday it was something else, first the supply line to brake reservoir, then the spark plug wires showed faulty and were arcing out on the shroud and lets not forget the plugged idle jet. Talk about a learning experience. Just about every oddity occurred that could, but what better place for it to happen than with a group of die hard pre-57 vintage enthusiasts who had been there, done that and who had….spare parts (this old boy scout had brought his own tools). The car was fixed and parts provided each occurrence by generous “pay it forward” class of people; the trip was an awesomely beautiful adventure and a true learning experience.
I attended the tour again in 2002 with my 78 year old Father, this time we would drive the 57 there and hopefully back; the boy scout was back and ready for anything.
Trip preparation was key to sharing a fabulous time with my dad and I was leaving nothing to chance. During the weeks leading up to the tour, I feverishly ordered spare parts and double and triple checked all of the systems. I did my homework.
While doing the logistic planning for the trip I not only planned hotel stays every night and fuel stops every 300 miles, but also searched for local clubs and VW shops along the way. Networking with local enthusiasts and clubs is not only key for critical issues, but is also just fun to meet new people in the hobby.
While searching the internet for repair facilities, I stumbled upon the “Air Cooled Rescue Squad” .This group of generous folks registers on a list with their addresses, skills and ability to help any traveling air-cooled VW in trouble. Skills and abilities range from roadside help/parts to even offering a garage to repair your VW and a place to stay. They do encourage That you “Be Prepared” though; I promptly copied the list and now keep an updated version in my on-board tool box.
The biggest preparation for this trip was making a list of possibilities and packing the most I could to keep me from reliving the previous years disaster. I packed a complete set of necessary tools, spare parts and fluids but at the same time trying to keep the load as light as possible.
I have generalized the list to cover all air-cooled models.
* Spare tire (known good, aired up and balanced).
* Tire changing tools. ( hubcap puller, lug wrench to fit your size lugs)
* OEM jack if your jacking points are solid or a good, light, small floor jack if not.
* Tire gauge.
* Tire plug kit
* Fan belt and the proper wrench to change it.
* Extra generator pulley shims.
* Fuses, bulbs.
* Electrical tape
* Fuel filter and clamps.
* Points, plugs, cap and rotor.
* Valve cover gaskets.
* Spark plugs and new bosch wires.
* German fuel hose, proper brake hose for your year and vacuum hose if needed for your model.
* Fluids = 3 Quarts of oil, brake fluid, W-D40 hand cleaner and Rain-Ex.
* Small tool kit. Now I want you to think light and as quiet as possible here. Extra weight wastes fuel and loose tools jingling around drives you crazy. Wrap tools in shop towels to keep them from rattling.
* Tool kit consisting of-
7,8,10,12,13,14,15,17, 19 and 21 mm wrenches as well as sockets.
Ratchet and assorted extensions.
Phillips and slotted screwdrivers
Medium adjustable wrench
Large wrench to fit the lower pulley nut.
Axle nut “whacker” and a BIG hammer to whack it with.
Pliers, wire cutters and Vise-grips.
Feeler gauges
Knife.
Metric allen wrench set.
A assortment of common nuts and bolts, cotter pins and wiring connectors.
12 Volt electrical tester and multi-meter.
Zip ties, mechanics wire and electrical wire
Jumper cables.
Small 1 gallon gas can.
Hand cleaner.
* Bentley manual for your year and model, A copy of “the idiot book”.
* Safety items. I.e. Road flares, reflective triangle, blanket, non-perishable food and first aid kit flashlight and spare batteries. The new LED lights last much longer so consider one of those.
* Fire extinguisher.
* Rain gear.
I store the tools behind the drivers seat on the floor, the blanket in the rear well behind the rear seat and the rest in a small Rubbermaid container in the front trunk..
This list seems like a lot of extra weight to drive around with but it could make your trip much more enjoyable and carefree if you can just “BE PREPARED’
All my preparations were for a “long distance” trek, I packed many more parts than I really needed, including various rebuild kits, a spare carb and distributor and even a spare cylinder head and rocker assembly,. but the year before was nerve racking and I had the space.
You know the story, you never use it if you bring it.
The Foliage Tour turned out to be a great experience for my father and I, we had not spent that much time together since the Boy scout days and therefore made up for a little lost quality time.
We had no breakdowns, got an average of 32 mpg, used only a ½ quart of oil and covered 2200 miles in 7 days.
The only time I reached into the tool box was to adjust the heater boxes one cold September morning somewhere in New York, and to fetch the Rain-Ex as it rained a lot that week as 57’ wipers are just a bit better than two sticks rubbing on your windshield.
I highly encourage all vintage owners who want to plan a long road trip to take the up front time to ensure an adventure filled with sights other than that seen from the side of the road.
Make a list, the one above is just a starting point, each car has it own personality and your list will reflect your car’s temperament, but knowing that you have the part, you’ve got the tool or you’ve got a friend in town, makes the world of difference between dead on the road or a great adventure.
- Bob Ellis | 
